Jordan Hotel Co.

This 1905 advertisement, for the Jordan Brothers Athens Hotel, captures a glimpse of the Oakland hotel managed by John Jordan 15 years before his arrival in Carmel.

Ida L. Larkey (1907)

After completing his college education, Jordan transitioned into a role as a traveling salesman, gaining insights into the hotel industry through interactions with them as potential clients. In 1904, he and his siblings established the Jordan Hotel Co. and inaugurated a seasonal resort close to Webber Lake in Sierra County, California. Jordan assumed responsibility for its operations until 1906. Just before the 1906 San Francisco earthquake the brothers secured a lease for the Hotel Athens located in Oakland, California. This 100-room hotel at 1556 Broadway catered to the needs of business travelers, with Jordan overseeing its management while Fred maintained his position at the helm of the Crellin Hotel. Jordan managed the Athens Hotel until 1921.^[3][4][2]

Jordan married Ida L. Larkey (1870–1949) on May 8, 1907 in Oakland. They had previously been classmates at the UOP. He established the Oakland Hotel Men's Association in 1908, where he held the position of president over multiple years, writing several articles for their publication.^[2] Additionally, in 1909, he became a member of Oakland's Progress and Prosperity Committee, dedicating his efforts to fostering the city's advancement. In his role as the committee's chairman in 1911, Jordan spearheaded the opposition to the attempt by San Francisco's city leaders to annex Oakland.^[4]

Jordan also assumed significant leadership positions within Northern California's hotel associations. In 1914, he undertook the role of manager for the newly established Oakland-Berkeley Hotel Apartment Association. This collective was formed to coordinate accommodations in the East Bay for attendees of the 1915 Panama–Pacific International Exposition. Jordan remained engaged with this association until the latter part of the summer of 1915. Following that, he shifted his attention to chairing a committee within the chamber of commerce, dedicated to support for a public utilities district in the East Bay.^[4]

In 1917, Jordan reentered the realm of hotel management by assuming control of the two-year-old Claremont Hotel & Spa in Oakland, aiming to elevate it into a resort destination. His efforts yielded success until the onset of Prohibition from 1920 to 1933, which posed a significant threat to the resort industry. In response, he departed from the Claremont and briefly transitioned to the Hotel Clyde, an establishment featuring 175 rooms and designed by Bernard Maybeck in 1917.^[4] During World War I, he held the responsibility of overseeing the commissary at the shipyard in Bay Point.^[5]

Pine Inn

The Pine Inn included cottages, a tennis court, and putting greens.

In 1921, Jordan, accompanied by his wife and their 13-year-old son Jack, moved to Carmel-by-the-Sea, California and took over the management of the Pine Inn from the Wilkeson sisters.^[4][6]

In 1922, Jordan purchased the Pine Inn. He also owned other Carmel properties, among them the Lobos Lodge in 1921, which was later demolished in 1976.^[7][2]

In May 1924, he acquired five plots of land along Ocean Avenue, located to the west of the Pine Inn, between Monte Verde and Casanova Streets. On this land, he constructed English-style cottages, providing an additional lodging option for the inn's guests. He offered them for $15 (equivalent to $262 in 2022) to $30 (equivalent to $524 in 2022) a month, tennis courts, and putting greens.^[8]

In March 1940, Jordan concluded the sale of the cottages situated to the west of the Pine Inn to a real estate consortium led by Tirey L. Ford Jr. Jordan initiated discussions about the potential sale of the Pine Inn to Harrison Godwin. In August 1940, ownership of the Pine Inn was transferred to Harrison Godwin.^[5][9]

Acting

Herbert Heron (left) and Jordan (right) in the play The Dark Lady of the Sonnets.

Upon his arrival in Carmel in 1921, Jordan adopted the theater arts to immerse himself in the community. He initiated the hosting of cast parties at the Pine Inn and took to the stage himself.^[4] A troupe known as the Carmel Repertory Players, consisting of members like musician and attorney Edward G. Kuster, actor/director Herbert Heron, and city attorney Argyll Campbell, staged three Irish plays at the Manzanita Club Theater, located at the southwest corner of San Mission Street and Ocean Avenue, in celebration of St. Patrick's Day in 1922. With the Pine Inn having previously served as a social hub for the village, Jordan extended an invitation for an "after-the-play supper" at the hotel.^[8]

In October 1992, Jordan and Herbert Heron took part in the production of George Bernard Shaw's The Dark Lady of the Sonnets, staged at the theater of the Carmel Arts and Crafts Club.^[4]

In January 1923, Jordan took on the role of host and actor for a community-wide William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night celebration at the Pine Inn. Jordan played the character Sir Andrew Aguecheek and Herbert Heron played Feste, the Fool (royal jester).^[10] The proceeds from this event were directed towards backing the Carmel Arts and Crafts Club's endeavor to establish a Little Theater.^[11]

In the summer theater season of 1923, Jordan took the stage in performances of Kismet and The Cradle. In the subsequent autumn, he earned a seat on the board of directors for the Forest Theater. Additionally, in the fall of 1925, he secured a position as a director for the Carmel Arts and Crafts Club.^[8]

Politics

Jordan served eight years on the Carmel city council and two years as Carmel mayor (1926–1928).^[9]

Jordan endeared himself to the longstanding residents of Carmel by transforming the median of Ocean Avenue, located in front of the Pine Inn, into a garden space. In less than a year of residing in Carmel, Jordan engaged in the discourse regarding the paving of Ocean Avenue, which was previously an unpaved dirt road.^[4] Championing the cause of civic beautification, he and first mayor Alfred P. Fraser jointly supervised the efforts of "street gardeners" who tended to the planting of rights-of-way. They also encouraged shop owners to adorn store entrances with planters and potted plants.^[12]

In May 1922, Jordan stood alongside fellow concerned Carmel residents who filled Carmel City Hall for the unveiling of bids aimed at paving a stretch of Ocean Avenue. The soon-to-be mayor, Perry Newberry, emphasized that not even the lowest bid of $27,984 (equivalent to $489,247 in 2022) proved feasible for the city to encompass "incidental costs along with road expenses within the funds collected from assessments." Jordan proposed tackling any potential deficit through a "popular subscription" approach. Consequently, the board endorsed a resolution to accept the bid and advance with the paving project.^[8]

In July 1922, Jordan received an appointment to the committee overseeing the Junipero Serra Day Celebration. The festivities for that year encompassed the unveiling of Jo Mora's shrine with a wooded statue of Padre Junípero Serra installed at the entrance to the development, at the intersection of Camino del Monte and Alta Avenue in the community of Carmel Woods. The opening day celebration, included Garnet Holme's Carmel Mission play Serra, at the Forest Theater.^[13][14]

In August 1922, Jordan played a pivotal role in establishing and financing the Carmel Building and Loan Society, operating as a subsidiary of the California Investment Association based in Oakland.^[7]

In January 1923, Jordan played a key role in establishing the chamber of commerce and secured the position of vice president, with William Overstreet, the publisher of the Carmel Pine Cone, assuming the presidency. Additionally, Jordan was tasked with leading the chamber's public utilities committee, a responsibility he had previously undertaken in Oakland.^[8] Jordan joined a group of 10 "angels," contributing funds to facilitate the purchase of a fire truck. The Chamber of Commerce acknowledged his influence by appointing Jordan as Carmel's representative to a recently established regional consortium aimed at promoting the Monterey Peninsula.^[8]

In 1926, Jordan joined the race for a position on Carmel's board of trustees, one of eight candidates. Incumbent board president, William Kibbler, was the sole existing member seeking re-election. Kibbler received 88 votesm whereas Jordan emerged as aprominent choice with 253 votes, securing both a trustee role and the presidency of the board. Gathering with city leaders in May 1926, Jordan shared his perspective: "We find ourselves in a growing community, facing emerging concerns that are becoming more pressing, such as traffic regulation, public health, street infrastructure, and construction matters. It is imperative that we collaborate to address these challenges collectively."^[8] The subsequent year saw this board transition into the city council, with him assuming the role of the inaugural mayor. Upon the conclusion of his four-year tenure, he secured re-election to the council.^[2]